Barkhor Street is a trading site as well as religious center The goods for sale here exemplify local Tibetan culture and artefacts. From morning to evening, streams of people throng the streets, to purchase whatever they need.Before entering the Jokhang Monastery,it is well worth strolling around the old streets and alleyways nearby, to get a taste of the old Tibetan atmosphere about town.

Barkhor Street has a long history. Built to encircle the famous Jokhang Monastery in Lhasa, it is actually a narrow lane, 600m long. Around the seventh century, when the Tibetan King, Srong-btsan Sgam-po, succeeded in uniting the various tribes within Tibet, the Tang Emperor promised Chinese Princess Wen Cheng in marriage to him. When Princess Wen Chejig left Chang"an, (today"s Xi"an), then capital city of the Tang Dynasty, on her way to Tibet, she took with her a statue of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, In addition to her abundant dowry. This statue was later housed in the Jokhang Monastery, which was built according to Princess Wen Cheng"s ingenious design. Since that time, the Jokhang Monastery has served as a sacred place of worship for the Tibetan people. And the street which encircles the monastery is none other than Barkhor Street.

Lots of Nepalese and Indians are doing business on Barkhor Street. Yuzhen"s husband is one such. One day, he brought out a string of beads (in Tibetan, known as a mala), and told me kind-heartedly that when selecting a tnafa, one should make sure that it consisted of 108 beads. Traditionally, malas were used by monks and devout Buddhists in Tibetan society, when reciting their mantras (prayers),so that they wouldn"t lose count. Thus, in the course of time this number acquired mystic power and was considered very auspicious.

Barkhor Street not only boasts various kinds of Tibetan folk crafts catering to tourists, but also provides the necessities of Tibetan people"s daily life, such as bold-colored aprons, beautiful phula (a woolen cloth for making gowns), hand-woven carpets and rugs, Tibetan boots, and wooden bowls for drinking buttered tea...

Barkhor Street has a long history. Built to encircle the famous Jokhang Monastery in Lhasa, it is actually a narrow lane, 600m long. Around the seventh century, when the Tibetan King, Srong-btsan Sgam-po, succeeded in uniting the various tribes within Tibet, the Tang Emperor promised Chinese Princess Wen Cheng in marriage to him. When Princess Wen Chejig left Chang"an, (today"s Xian), then capital city of the Tang Dynasty, on her way to Tibet, she took with her a statue of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, In addition to her abundant dowry. This statue was later housed in the Jokhang Monastery, which was built according to Princess Wen Cheng"s ingenious design. Since that time, the Jokhang Monastery has served as a sacred place of worship for the Tibetan people. And the street which encircles the monastery is none other than Barkhor Street.

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